Classifying apparatus



March 6, 1928. 1,661,858

A. M. STOKOE CLASSIFYING APPARATUS Filed March 5. 1927 Ashley M Srokoe Patented Mar. 6, 1928.

ASHLEY M. STOKOE, OF ST. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

GLAS SIEYI NG APPARATUS.

Application filed March 3, 1927. Serial No. 172,430.

My invention relates to improvements in classifying apparatus and has for its object to provide a device particularly adaptable for use in laundries and other establishments by means of which articles may be freely intermixed to be operated upon, and thereafter readily reclassified in accordance with their original classification An object of the invention resides in pro viding a phlrality of brackets or supports, each arranged to receive its respective marl:- ers'to which the classified articles are attached, said markers and supports being constructed as to prevent the erroneous application of markers to the supports.

Another object of the invention resides in so constructing the supports that theele z'ncnts thereofmay be adjusted to suit any given class of markers, whereby the individual construction of supports for each individual class of markersis avoided.

An object of the invention resides in providing a bracket comprising a plate or flange adapted to be attached to awall or seated on a supporting surface to which flangeis attached a pair of outwardly extendmg bars arranged in parallel relation and adapted to support a plurality of markers of a given class having fastening devices associated therewith.

A feature of the invention resides in forming each marking device with apertures adapted to receive said bars by means of which a number of such markers may be readily slid along the bars to support the articles attached thereto.

A still further object of the invention resides in supporting said bars on the indiv dual brackets in varying relation, one w th respect to the other, so that the markers be: longing to one bracket may not be applied to any other bracket, thereby preventmg the erroneous classification and misplacement of the articles.

An object of the invention resides in forming said bars of rectangular cross section and in forming on the ends of the same an angular base by means of which the same may be riveted to the bracket flange, by means of a number of rivets, one of said rivets extending through said base in align ment with the axis of said bar.

WYith the foregoing and other objects in view, which will appear in the following description, the invention resides in the novel combination andarrangementof parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings y I i Fig. l is a perspective viewof a device for classifying clothing and similar articles illustrating an embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is an elevational view of oneof the markers utilized in conjunction with the invention. I Y a i s Fig. 3 is a plan view of the die used in constructing my improved markers.

Fig. 4 is a plan view of a die similar .to that shown in Fig.8 used to punch'the bracket support for the attachment of parallel bars thereto. i

i In laundries and similar places of business where it is necessary to intermingle previously classified articles and to later reclassify the same according to the original. classifications,'considerable inconvenience and difliculty has been encountered dueto the fact that errors in reclassification frequently occur from misreading the marker numbers and various other causes, resulting in confusion and inefliciency. With other classifying devices now available for the purpose of eliminating such disadvantages, separate sets of dies are required for each individual supporting rack or similar structure, there by'necessitating an exorbitant investment in dies, tools and equipment and cmrrespomling cost for such devices. My invention overcomes this difficulty by constructing a device in such a manner that one set of supporting bars may be arranged in dilierent angular relationsso that the'saine bars and other elements may be utilized in allof the supporting racks, thereby reducing the number of dies and igs to those necessary to construct a single unit. i

My invention is particularly applicable, for use in laundries for classifying uremticles handled therein, and for this reason I have illustrated such a device in this application, though it can be readily compre-. hended that variations of the invention can readily be made to meet with other requirements.

The invention proper consists primarilyof a plurality of brackets A which when used in a laundry are removably attached to the wall in progressive order immediately above the work table on which the sortingof the clothing takes place. Eachof the brackets A is provided with a numeral 50 and the various brackets are preferably arranged 1n numerical order, so that the same may be readily located. In conjunction with these brackets are employed a plurality of markers B which may be attached to the clothing or goods to be classified, each bracket harving as many markers as becomes necessary for the proper classification of the articles. These markers have similar numerals 50 corresponding to the bracket to which they belong. In my invention the group t markers for each particular bracket is so formed as to be slidable only upon the respective bracket to which it belongs. This is rendered possible, as will be presently explained, and prevents the accidental classification of the goods, resulting in accuracy and eiliciency in operation.

Each of the brackets A which are identical in construction except for the relative arrangement of the parts thereon consist of a flange provided with upper and lower slotted holes 11 by means of which the same may be detachably hung on headed studs in the wall of the room where the device is to be used. In conjunction with this flange are employed two bars 12 and 13 which are preierably constructed of stock of rectangular cross section and which are beat with right angled base portions 11 and 15. It will be noted that the base portions 14 and 15 are oll'set from the longitudinal axis of the respective bars, as indicated at 16, to allow inserting rivets 17 and 18 through said bases in longitudinal alignment with the axes or said bars. By means of these rivets 17 and 18 and two other rivets 19 and 20 also passing through the bases 1 1 and 15, the bars 12 and 13 may be rigidly attached to the flange 10 in spaced relation to one another and extending outwardly therefrom. Either or both of the bars 12 and 13 may have the ends thereof tapered or sharpened as indicated at 3:2, so as to allow the ready application to the same of the markers to be presently de scribed.

The marker B consists of a body portion .21 preferably constructed of sheet metal which has attached to it a safety pin .22, one reach 23 of which is rigidly enveloped in a rolled portion 2% of said body 21. The other reach .25 of said safety pin is lormed with the usual point 26 which is adapted to be lodged behind a sheath 2? formed along the upper portion of the body 21. A keeper 28 near the bottom of the body 21 also assists in holding the reach in proper position relative to the marker when the safety pin is closed, while a notch 29 formed in said marker allows the reach 25 to be pressed inwardly and disengaged from the sheath E27 and keeper 28. In the body 21 are cut two rectangular openings 30 and 31, which are arranged in the same angular relation and spaced from one another the same distance as the bars 1:2 and 13 and which are adapted to receive said bars so as to permit of sliding the marker B along said bars 12 and 12}, as illustrated in Fig. 1.

By swinging the bars 12 and 13 about the rivets 17 and 18 in dill'erent angular relations and by correspondingly rotating the openings 30 and 31, a plurality ot' dii'iercnt brackets can be constructed, each of which will receive only the series oi. markers whose openings 30 and 31 conform to the arrangement of the said bars 12 and 123. This structure hence is readily adapted i'or arrangement to accommodate an exceedingly greater number of dil'l'erent markers by simply rotating the bars 12 and 11, thercol and correspondingly altering the openings in the marker, which number of brackets may be further increased by altering the respective distance oi? the rivets 17 and 18 from one another.

\Vith my invention a single set of dies may be employed for the construction of all of the diliierent types of markers and supporting brackets therefor in contrast with the previously known devices which require :eparate dies for each dili'erent bracket and its corresponding markers. To ilhniratc the method by means of which the same may be accomplished, I have shown idl ig. i) a bot tom view oi. the male die member utilized for the formation oi. the openings 3H and 2) This die member consists of: a round block or anvil 33 formed with a shank 31 by means of which the same may be clamped in the press head in the usual manner. The block 33 is provided with two longitudinally spaced parallel bores 35 and 2313 situated the same distance apart as the axes of the bars 12 and 13. In these bores are rot:1tabl mounted two punches ST and 38 having circular shanks 39 and -10 adapted to lit snugly within the bores 35 and 313. Two set screws ll and 12 hold the said circular shanks ii and 40 in lixed relation relative to the block :13. By rotating the said pumzhea iii' and 3% to conform to the angular relation of the respective bars 12 and 13, a number of \lill'erent markers may be readily constrmrtcd. in the female die member, the same construction is used, except that apertured members are employed instead of punches 3? and 215.

In assembling the brackets. the bars 12 and 13 may, it desired, be first pivoted to the flange 10 by means of the rivets 17 and 18 and the same then rotatably adjusted to fit the respective markers for which the bracket is to be used. Holes may be then drilled through the flange 10 to register with the holes 'l'or rivets 19 and 20 and the said rivets then inserted and clinched in place The holes for both pairs of rivets, if preferred. may be simultaneously punched by a single die so that the attachment of the all bars 12 and 13 to the flange 10 becomes a simple riveting operation. This may be accomplished by means of the die illustrated in Fig. 4. This die is similar to that shown in Fig. 3 and employs a block 33 with a shank he, the same as said first mentioned ,die and is also formed with longitudinal bores and 36. In these bores are, how ever, disposed punch members 43 and 44 having shanks L5 and as extending into the bores and These punches have in addition otiset portions l? and d8 which carry two spaced punches ll) anu 50. the same distance apart as the rivets 17 and 19 or 18 and 20. Punches 1-9 are axially disposed relative to the shanks and to and hence become situated the same distance apart as the axes ol the bars 12 and 13. It can be readily comprehended that these die members can be rotated relative to one another to correspond with the respective positions of the punches: 37 and 38 so that the flange 10 may be simultaneously punched for all of the holes of the bars and i3 thereby requiring merely the riveting of the same at the proper positions. In punching said markers B and flanges 10, they are marked with the numerals 150 so that once the said portions of the invention have been completed, the same cannot become accidentally confused so as to require any degree of effort to re classify them. 7

In the use of the invention, particularly for laundry purposes, a plurality of the brackets A are disposed immediately above the working table in numerical order. The various articles to be laundered or parcels containing such articles are tagged with the respective markers B, allot the articles having the same ultimate destination being marked with the same number. The same are then put through the usual process of cleansing and are returned to the sorting room where the classification thereof is to take place. In the usual process of washing the clothes, the same become greatly intermingled and the various items of each group are usually remote from one another. The tags of each laundered item is viewed and applied to the respective bracket therefor having a corresponding number. Due to the angular relation of bars 12 and 13 of a given bracket and corresponding relation of the openings 30 and 31 of the companion markers, the proper application of the similarly numbered markers to its bracket is permissible. In the event, however, that the op .rator carelessly misreads a number either on a marker or bracket, or otherwise negligently fails to apply a marker to the proper support, the application of the same to a wrong support is precluded due to the want of correspondence, angularly, or" the bars 12 and 13 and the openings 30 and 31. This prevents the erroneous classification of the each supporting bracket are identical as l well as the elements of each of the markers, so that but a single set of dies need be provided for the construction oi a wide range of devices. A multiplicity of ditlerent brackets are provided by simply altering the relative arrangement of the supporting bars, such varying relative arrangement of said bars being readily accomplished bv the use of a single die lfor the flangeslO having rotating die members therein, correspondingly dillerent markers being provided in the same way. The device may be constructed to provide a rigid and sturdy construction and employs two bars. for supporting the markers with the attached articles instead of one bar, a; has been heretofore the case. i

Changes in the specific form of my invention, as herein disclosed, may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a classifying'device the combination with a plurality of brackets, of a plurality ofmarkers arranged for application thereto, eachbracketcomprising a support having a pair of spaced parallel bars issuing outwardly therefrom, one of the bars of each" pair being non-circular in cross section, the respective bars of each bracket being identical with the corresponding bars of each of the other brackets and differently angularly related, saidmarkers being differently apertured for application to their-respective brackets.

2. In a classifying device the combination with a plurality of brackets of a plurality i of markers arranged for application thereto, each bracket comprising a support having a pair of spaced parallel bars, non-circular in cross-section, issuing outwardly therefrom, the bars of each bracket being arrangedrels at-ive to one another in different rotational position about fixed axes with respect to the bars of the other brackets, said markers being differently apertured for application to their respective brackets.

3. In a classifying device the combination with a plurality of brackets of a plu rality of markers arranged for application thereto, each bracket comprising a support having a pair of spaced parallel bars issuing outwardly therefrom, one of the bars of each bracket being constructed to prevent the rotation of said marker relative thereto,

' tation of said marker relative thereto, said last named bars being arranged relative to their companion bars in different rotational position about fixed axes with respect to the bars of other brackets, said markers being difi'erently apertured for application to their respective brackets.

5. In combination, a plurality of brackets, each comprising a support and a pair of spaced parallel bars, angular in cross-section, issuing outwardly from said support, the relative angular relation between the bars of any one bracket differing from that relation between bars in any of the other brackets, and a plurality of markers comprising a number of sets, one set for each bracket, each marker of each set being formed with spaced angular apertures adapting the same for snugly iittin" application to the bars of its respective n'acket.

(5. In combination, a plurality of brackets, each comprising a' support and a pair of spaced parallel bars issuing outwardly from said support, one bar being non-circular in cross-section and having an angular relation with respect to the other bar different from such relation between the non-circular bar and its companion bar of each of the other brackets, and a plurality of markers comprising a number of sets, one set for each bracket, each marker of each set being formed with spaced openings adapting the same for close fitting appli -ation to the bars of its respective bracket.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

ASHLEY M. STOKOE.

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